1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a connector apparatus, such as a breaker apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In a known breaker apparatus, a stationary-side housing is provided with a pair of stationary electrodes, a movable-side housing is provided with a movable electrode for short-circuiting a pair of the stationary electrodes, and the movable-side housing is provided with a slide lever having a cam groove. In fitting the movable-side housing on the stationary-side housing, a cam follower of the stationary-side housing is fitted in an entrance of the cam groove by fitting the movable-side housing on the stationary-side housing shallowly, with the slide lever disposed at an initial position. When the slide lever is subsequently moved to a lock position, the movable-side housing is moved toward the stationary-side housing owing to a cam operation caused by engagement between the cam groove and the cam follower. Consequently the movable-side housing fits on the stationary-side housing, and the movable electrode contacts the stationary electrodes. Thereby the stationary electrodes are short-circuited.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 6-52929 disclose an example of such a breaker apparatus in which both housings are fitted on each other owing to a cam operation that is performed by the use of a slide lever.
In the above-described conventional breaker apparatus, in fitting the entrance of the cam groove on the cam follower, it is necessary to position the movable-side housing with respect to the stationary-side housing. However, the cam groove is comparatively narrow, and the cam follower has a small diameter. Thus, it is difficult to perform the operation of positioning the movable-side housing with respect to the stationary-side housing.
In a situation in which the position of the housing cannot be checked visually and thus it is necessary to perform a positioning operation gropingly, i.e., xe2x80x9cby feel,xe2x80x9d it is very difficult to do so.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described situation. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to fit a movable-side housing on a stationary-side housing easily.
In the present invention, there is provided a connector apparatus, such as a breaker apparatus, including a stationary-side housing having at least one cam follower on an outer side surface; at least one stationary electrode provided on the stationary-side housing; a movable-side housing including a fit-on portion and fitted on the stationary-side housing in such a way that the stationary-side housing is covered with the fit-on portion of the movable-side housing in a direction from a front side of the stationary-side housing; at least one moveable electrode provided on the movable-side housing; and a slide lever capable of moving linearly between an initial position and a fit-on position along an inner surface of a side wall of the fit-on portion in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the movable-side housing fits on the stationary-side housing.
In this construction, the at least one stationary electrode and the at least one movable electrode are connected to each other, with the fit-on portion being fitted on the stationary-side housing in association with a cam operation performed by cooperation of a cam groove of the slide lever and the cam follower of the stationary-side housing, by moving the cam follower into an entrance of the cam groove when the slide lever is disposed at the initial position and then moving the slide lever to the fit-on position.
The connector apparatus further includes a plurality of guides provided on an outer side surface of the stationary-side housing and the inner surface of the side wall of the fit-on portion. The guides do not engage each other at an unmatching position where a front leading end portion of the movable-side housing contacts a front base portion of the stationary-side housing and at a matching position where the front leading end portion of the movable-side housing matches a front leading end portion of the stationary-side housing to match the entrance of the cam groove with the cam follower. The guides engage each other during movement of the movable-side housing from the unmatching position to the matching position to thereby guide the movable-side housing.
The guides may have a leading portion that guides the cam follower into the entrance of said the cam groove and guides the movable-side housing in an oblique direction with respect to the direction of movement of the slide lever during movement of the second housing from a position before the matching position to the matching position.
The connector apparatus may further include a leading surface formed on a front edge of a lower end of the stationary-side housing, and the leading surface may assist the leading portion in guiding the movable-side housing in an oblique direction with respect to the direction of movement of said slide lever during the movement of said second housing from a position before the matching position to the matching position. The leading surface may be provided at a position spaced from the leading portion in a direction in which the movable-side housing moves between the unmatching position and the matching position.
The direction of movement of the movable-side housing as it moves from the unmatching position to the matching position may be the same as the direction of movement of the slide lever as it moves from the initial position to the fit-on position.
In fitting the movable-side housing on the stationary-side housing, with the slide lever disposed at the initial position, the front leading end portion of the movable-side housing is brought into contact with the front base portion of the stationary-side housing to place the movable-side housing at the unmatching position. When the movable-side housing is brought into contact with the stationary-side housing, the guides do not engage each other. Thus, there is no interference in the operation of bringing the movable-side housing into contact with the stationary-side housing. Further, because it is unnecessary to match the entrance of the cam groove with the cam follower, it is not difficult to place the housings in their proper relative position.
As the movable-side housing is moved from the unmatching position toward the matching position, the guides engage each other and perform their guiding function. Owing to the function of the guides, the movable-side housing moves to the matching position reliably and allows the entrance of the cam groove to match the cam follower. Thereafter, the slide lever is moved from the initial position to the fit-on position, with the cam follower and the entrance of the cam groove engaging with each other.
As is apparent from the foregoing description, it is not difficult to place the housings in the proper relative position. Therefore, even in a situation in which it is difficult to visually check the position of the movable-side housing and hence it is necessary to perform a positioning operation gropingly, the movable-side housing can be fitted to the stationary-side housing easily and reliably.
In the stage in which the movable-side housing moves from the position before the matching position to the matching position, the moving direction of the movable-side housing is altered to an oblique direction by the guidance of the leading portion and/or the leading surface. As this movement progresses, the cam follower fits into the entrance of the cam groove. Thus, it is possible to accomplish the operation of moving the movable-side housing to the matching position and the operation of fitting the cam follower into the entrance of the cam groove by one action.
Therefore, the operation to be performed according to the construction of the present invention has higher workability than an operation of moving the movable-side housing to the matching position and then fitting the cam groove onto the cam follower by shifting the movable-side housing from an operator""s one hand to the other.
In changing the moving direction of the movable-side housing by the guiding of the leading portion and the leading surface, the movable-side housing is guided at upper and lower positions. Thus, the movable-side housing is kept in a predetermined posture. Thereby, it is possible to reliably fit the entrance of the cam groove onto the cam follower.
The direction of the movable-side housing in fitting the movable-side housing on the stationary-side housing may be the same as the direction of the slide lever that moves after the movement of the movable-side housing terminates. This enhances workability.